Magasin du Nord (The Attic Room), Copenhagen

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Magasin du Nord (The Attic Room), Copenhagen

Magasin du Nord (The Attic Room), Copenhagen

Once upon a time – precisely in 1868 – two entrepreneurial Danes, Theodor Wessel and Emil Vett, opened a humble draper’s shop in Aarhus. Business boomed, and faster than you can say “Is that cashmere?”, they expanded to Copenhagen, setting up shop inside the swanky Hotel du Nord. Eventually, their fabric empire swallowed the hotel whole, and by 1879, the business took on its now-iconic name: Magasin du Nord – which is a fancier (French-style) rendition of “The Northern Department Store”.

By 1894, they went upscale: tearing down the hotel and its neighbor and building a grand, French Renaissance Revival palace of retail. It became the place to be dazzled by treasures from Paris, Berlin, London, and even Copenhagen’s own stylish exports. A kind of 19th-century Amazon Prime, only with chandeliers and better tailoring...

Today, Magasin du Nord is still going strong – five fabulous floors of fashion, flair, and other material delights. Women’s, men’s, kids’ clothes – you name it. Kitchen gadgets, tech toys, sporty gear, and luggage for your overly ambitious weekend plans – the list can go on. On the ground floor, you'll find perfumes, beauty brands, and enough designer bags to make your credit card nervous. Plus, two Joe & The Juice spots, just in case all that shopping makes you faint from the lack of kale.

And then, tucked away like a literary Easter egg, on the third floor, is Hans Christian Andersen’s attic room. That’s right, the fairy tale master himself lived up there as a 22-year-old, scribbling poems and probably wondering how to afford rent. You can visit the quaint little room (for free!) by wandering past his rather serious-looking portrait, through a meeting room (yes, it feels like trespassing), and voilà – you're in his tiny, poetic hideout. It's simple, yet a bit haunting. The place is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 1 to 5 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm.

Who knew retail therapy and literary history could go hand in hand?

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Magasin du Nord (The Attic Room) on Map

Sight Name: Magasin du Nord (The Attic Room)
Sight Location: Copenhagen, Denmark (See walking tours in Copenhagen)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Copenhagen, Denmark

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